December 2024 HBC Update
Farewell 2024!
We are finally at the end of the year….and what a year. It has not been easy, as we felt almost at the end of the pandemic and all that it brought. With the storm only 3 months past, what a whammy. I know many of you are still feeling the chaos and grief that came with Helene. I most certainly am. I am very much looking forward to some peace, rest and respite this winter season. A new love and appreciation has come for me in this season. Winter is a time to slow down, to reflect, to rest. It is a challenge during these times and certainly in retail, but I am committed to try. Hibernation is so soothing to my soul and I thought that I would share some of my goals this season and things that I love that make winter restful.
The holidays can be difficult for many, myself included. Not everything is sleigh rides and cookies. Sometimes it is compounded stress and loneliness. I created a holiday traditions list of traditions that soothe me and connect to the nostalgia of childhood. Most of my wishes were very simple… connection, food traditions, and light. Candles and twinkly lights, a harbor in the dark. Clove studded oranges and the smell of cinnamon. Gratitude for all of the gifts in my life, even when it is not all perfect. It brought a lot of peace to actually ponder what I love about the season. I consider that a huge success, especially after 30+ years in retail.
I want to thank all of you, our wonderful co-op community for sharing your lives and for supporting the co-op in such difficult times. It is because of you that we thrive. It is such a gift to interact with you all, to learn from you, and to create such a terrific business. I am grateful for all of my co-workers and all of you who continue to support small, local, and cooperative. I wish you the very best for 2025. Here is hoping it is gentle and beautiful.
As many of you know, the co-op has been a great support with the Appalachian Herb Collective. It is an organization created post Helene to offer free herbs, nutritional products and support to those needing help. The need is acute after the storm, but I also think (and hope) that we can serve that need long term. Many do not have access to health care, and while not doctors, having herbal and nutritional support is key for a healthy life. Thank you to all of those companies who have and continue to donate products so that our community can heal and thrive again. Many local businesses will need help to reopen and continue their work for years to come. I will continue to give shout outs to them and to stock all that I can to help support them. Please consider giving your business to them, especially during the winter season, which tends to be the tightest.
I wanted to share a few recipes with you. The first is from a New York herbalist who came down to help out with the AHC pop ups before christmas, 7Song. He posted on facebook about burn out being a huge issue, for the herbalists involved in volunteering over the past 3 months, but also generally. Most of us are experiencing burn out from the past 5 years and certainly at this time of year when we have so much to accomplish. I thought that I would share his recipe here for those who may need it..
Burn Out Blend
3 pt Passionflower
3 part Blue vervain
2 part Damiana
2 part Wood Betony
1 part Rose
Instructions: You can prepare this as a tincture (in which case, Rose glycerite can be added) or as a tea. The blue vervain is quite bitter, so you may want to adjust the amount for tea use. Recommended Dosage for the tincture blend is ½ to 1 dropperful 3x daily. If you prefer the tea, I would recommend 1 cup 2-3x daily.
My favorite calming and recovery tea is
2 parts chamomile
2 parts passionflower
2 parts oatstraw
1 part rose petals
This is a gentle and yummy tea to help calm and uplift. 2-4 cups daily.
Other support for stress include:
Adaptogens! Ashwagandha, schisandra, and eleuthero are some of my favorites. I use adaptogens as a daily nourishment to feed the endocrine system and support healthy stress response. We have tincture blends, teas, adaptogen “coffee” blends, and capsules blends available. I generally take adaptogens in combinations, as different adaptogens seem to do different things, and I take them in different forms. In food, as a powder addition for say, adaptogen balls with nuts and dried fruit and in a tincture form.
Mushrooms! Mushrooms are very popular these days and while I am not into trends, mushrooms are not a trend. The Chinese have been using mushrooms for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Sadly, Americans are slow to the dance. Not only are mushrooms wonderful for the cold and flu season, but they also have adaptogenic properties. Lion’s Mane is by far the most popular with its’ nootropic and nerve supporting effects, but if I had to pick only one… hands down reishi. It is considered the mushroom of immortality. I use it as a tincture, but also add it to my broth while brewing for a nice immune boost. My favorite mushroom blend is Herb Etc. Deep Health. It is full of adaptogens and mushrooms. I often blend it half and half with elderberry syrup for winter immune support.
Herbal teas! January is Tea month and with good reason. There is nothing like a hot cuppa tea on a cold winter day. I love tea of all kinds: black, green, herbal, rooibos, all of them. Overall, our most popular tea, in any form, is Earl Grey. Republic of tea has a lovely Earl Grey Vanilla that is delicious and we, of course, have Earl Grey in bulk. We have Decaf as well, for those of you sensitive to caffeine. For those of you wanting something more calming, both Traditional Medicinals and Yogi Tea have wonderful blends to calm and soothe or you can blend up your own in our bulk herb section. (See the recipes above for ideas or come talk to one of us in HBC to guide you if needed).
Deep rest! Let’s face it, no amount of herbs nor adaptogens are going to make up for the lack of restful sleep on a regular basis. Winter is the perfect time to rest more. Hibernate like the bears. Create your own sleep routine. Perhaps reading before bed instead of computer or phone scrolling. A nice warm bath and a cup of nervine tea. I like to light candles in the evening or use gentler lamps to set the sleep and relax mood. While we are fairly wiped out our candle stock after the holidays at the moment, we will restock asap and I highly recommend beeswax candles throughout the dark months.
I find that a lot of the things we relate to holidays are really great to extend into the winter. Warm drinks…teas, mulled cider, hot cocoa. Lights…candles, twinkle lights (I hope to keep mine up all winter), spices to enhance our drinks and food. I realize that a lot of my nostalgia for most holidays is around food. My favorite winter food has to be soup. I thought I would share some of my favorite recipes-
Moosewoods Gypsy Soup
1 can of whole tomatoes, drained 1 tsp turmeric
2 Tbsp olive oil 1 tsp basil
2 cups chopped onions dash of cinnamon
3 cloves of garlic, crushed dash of cayenne
1 stalk celery, minced 1 bay leaf
2 cups peeled, diced sweet potatoes 3 cups of water or broth
1 tsp salt 1 med diced bell peppr
2 tsp paprika 1½ c cooked chickpeas
Instructions: Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven. Add onion, garlic, celery, and sweet potatoes. Saute over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add salt and saute 5 minutes more. Add remaining seasonings, water or broth and cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add tomato, bell pepper, and chick peas. Cover and simmer for 10-15 more minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste and enjoy!
Ashley Englishs’ Coconut Hot Chocolate (from her book Quench)
1 ½ cup coconut milk
2 Tbsp sugar
3.5oz dark chocolate bar (65% or higher cocoa content)
Instructions: Place coconut milk in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat. Reduce temp to low as milk begins to bubble and add in sugar and chocolate. Whisk until sugar and chocolate are dissolved and fully melted. Makes 2 servings.
Another simple way to add some warming spice to your days is to simply add nutmeg, cardamom, or even apple pie spices into your morning coffee. I add them to the french press with my coffee grounds, but it works in percolators or automatic coffee makers as well.
I hope that whatever you choose for your winter rituals, that they nourish you body and soul.
As we head into a new year, I love to make a list of goals for the following year. One of mine is to resume our Herbal classes upstairs. The pandemic and chaos of the past 5 years has prevented me from scheduling them, but now it is time.
Herbal Classes
Winter skin care
January 15th 2025, Wednesday, 5-7pm
Many of us struggle with the effect of the cold weather on our skin. From cracked lips to chapped hands and faces, we can use herbal oils and salves to relieve our skin woes. In this class, we will cover how to make our own potent herbal oils and salves for general healing, to combat dry skin and learn to use herbal body oils to soothe not only our skin, but our nervous systems. I will cover different herbs and my recommendations of preferred oils for each skin type. Each participant will take home a body oil and a salve to add to your home apothecary.
Class is $15-25 sliding scale. No one turned away due to lack of funds.
Bow Chica Now Wow! Herbs for love
February 11, 2025, Tuesday, 5-7pm
I know that valentine’s day is not everyone’s favorite holiday, but any celebration of love is good in my book! Whether you are in a love relationship or not, come learn some great ways to feed your mojo using herbal aphrodisiacs in teas, elixirs, and foods. Everyone will take home an edible body butter and we will sample some of my favorite love foods and oils. My hope is that it will inspire your valentines celebrations, or just your self care rituals. Warning: this is an adult class. We will talk about sex in a sex positive space. Not appropriate for children.
$15-25 sliding scale. No one turned away for lack of funds
Herbal Home Care
March 12, 2025, Wednesday, 5-7pm
It is time for the spring clean! As we move into early spring, there is something so satisfying about opening up the doors and windows and airing out the winter funk. Making your own cleaning products is a lovely way to not only enhance your cleaning with wonderful scents and cleaning power, but also to save money. With just a few simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, various herbs, and a few essential oils, you can create a variety of cleaners for different surfaces. Everyone will learn how to make some of my favorite household blends and take home a cleaner to start your spring cleaning.
$15-25 sliding scale. No one turned away due to lack of funds.
Well, that is a wrap for 2024. May the year ahead be beautiful for all of us.
Melissa